Disastrous Man Utd signing confirms Liverpool talks in extraordinary twist, as Slot dodges huge bullet

Manchester United flop Antony has detailed just how close he came to joining Liverpool previously, amid his return to form at Real Betis.

Ruben Amorim’s predecessor at Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag, convinced Man Utd to spend a huge £82million to reunite him with his former Ajax star Antony in August 2022. That is despite United recruitment chiefs valuing the winger at around £30m during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time in charge.

Ten Hag’s poor recruitment is one of several reasons why INEOS sacked him earlier in the season, and Antony certainly did not help his cause.

The Brazilian wide man registered just 12 goals and five assists in 96 games for United, which saw his transfer value plummet.

Antony was shipped out by Amorim in January, heading to Real Betis on a six-month loan.

Antony has left United fans stunned by making an immediate impact in Spain, having already notched three goals and two assists in his first six appearances for Betis.

United will hope that the 25-year-old can drive his price tag back up again before likely being sold in the summer. However, things could have been very different for both Antony and United.

In an interview with Dubai-based sports platform Kooora (via Metro), Antony admitted he almost joined Liverpool before he headed to United.

“True… I was very close to signing for Liverpool, but you never know what would have happened,” he said.

“In the end, I went to Manchester and had great moments there, and that was a good choice as well.”

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Liverpool back in Mo Salah contract saga

According to various reports, Liverpool targeted Antony in 2022 amid uncertainty over whether Mo Salah would pen a new contract.

Of course, Salah did sign fresh terms at that stage, though Liverpool are now in a similar predicament.

Arne Slot and his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, likely dodged a major bullet in failing to sign Antony.

While the forward may have performed better at Anfield than Old Trafford, he does not seem to have the style or mentality needed to make it in the Premier League.

Liverpool spending huge sums on Antony could have prevented them from signing top stars such as Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch down the line.

Signs suggest Salah will agree a contract extension at Liverpool, even if he is very frustrated with how long negotiations are taking.

But the Reds still need to identify a player who can succeed from the goal machine in the next one or two years.

Antony will certainly not be in the mix, but possible candidates include Como’s Assane Diao, Bryan Mbeumo and Johan Bakayoko.

Liverpool in for Chelsea star; Man Utd draw up contract offer

Meanwhile, Liverpool could ‘return’ for Chelsea defender Levi Colwill this summer as they hold ‘long-standing interest’ in him.

Liverpool hope to bring in a new centre-back even if Virgil van Dijk stays, and Colwill is one great option being considered.

Elsewhere, United are reportedly preparing to hijack Newcastle’s move for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford.

It is even claimed that United have prepared a five-year deal for Trafford in case they are able to quickly forge an agreement with Burnley.

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